Black-Eyed Pea, Pork, and Mustard Green Gumbo

Ingredients

• 1 (6 pound) pork butt, cut into cubes
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pinch ground thyme, or to taste
• 8 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 pounds okra, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide pieces
• 3 pounds smoked sausage, sliced and halved
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 2 cups chopped bell pepper
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 1 gallon chicken stock, divided
• 1 (16 ounce) jar premade roux (such as Kary’s)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons file powder
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 pinch Creole seasoning (such as Slap Ya Mama)
• 5 (15 ounce) cans black-eyed peas, undrained
• 4 (15 ounce) cans mustard greens, drained
• 2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chile peppers (such as Rotel)
• 1 (16 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Season pork cubes with salt, pepper, and thyme to taste and place in a cast iron skillet.

Cook pork cubes in the preheated oven until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Transfer pork from skillet to a bowl, reserving drippings.

Cook and stir bacon in a 9-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate, reserving bacon grease.

Cook and stir okra in the bacon grease over medium heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer okra to a bowl, reserving bacon grease. Cook and stir smoked sausage in bacon grease until browned, about 5 minutes. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic to sausage; cook and stir until softened, 5 to 10 minutes.

Stir 48 fluid ounces chicken stock into sausage mixture and bring to a simmer. Stir roux into broth mixture until dissolved and slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly stir 48 fluid ounces chicken stock into thickened stock; bring back to a simmer.

Mix pork, pork drippings, bacon, chili powder, paprika, 2 teaspoons black pepper, file powder, rosemary, 1 teaspoon thyme, bay leaves, and Creole seasoning into thickened chicken stock; simmer, stirring often and skimming off fat, until flavors blend, about 1 hour.

Stir black-eyed peas, mustard greens, okra, diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, mushrooms, and remaining chicken stock into pork-stock mixture; simmer for 1 hour more.